The Wilmingtonian., 1887-03-12
FRANCE AND GE.mAAY.
Their SasaI aud Military strength Com
pared

'%HNN
facilities that existed for the hurried trans
port of troops to the frontier in the event o.
an outbreaks with Germany reported tina
within ten hours Of the declaration of fhostih-
ties it would be possible to concentrate 40-
900 men at any given point, and adminstra.
tive AID railway arrangements would admn
of further troops reaching the same spot a
the rate of is, 900 an hour fer the next two
hours; at the expiration of which time 412r-
900 men could be placed in line
Military service is oblgat ry upon al, /,
Flenchmen who are physically fit Tie
length Of term of service is 20 years. the re.
cruit passing his first five years in the activ,
army, subsequently 4 in the fist reserve, 5 II
the territorial army, and in the territorial
reserve. There are 10 army corps, one sta
toned at Algters, and one each at Lille
Amiens, Rpuen, LIE Mars, olleaus, Chalons.
pur-Marue, Besancou, Bourges, Touls,
Rennes, Mates, Limoges, Clermont- Ftrrand.
Lyons, Marseilles, Montpelier, Toulouse ano
Bordeaux. Each of these army corps cou-
sists Of two divisions. The division consists
of two regiments, the regiment Of batta.
lions, and the battalions of four companies
There are also 2 depot companies to eacl
Jonathan x,r;th ,,,o hot4al;nr of oba..
seurs pied, regiments OF cavalry, 2 regi.
ments of artillery, each Of IL batteries, bat
talon Of engineers, / company of ponton
iers, ambulance detachml Mt train Squad
ron, aud two sets of .altificers and clel ks
o ,tside Of the army corps organic ,tiou thlr,
are 7 divisions Of cavalry, So Oattalions Of in.
fantry, "a batteries of position and propoi.
tion of technical troops. Provision also eg.
lists for the formation OF more army corps,
which would be main created out Of th,
territorial army.
Tue peace effective of the French Army
was put in the Budget Of 1886 at j23, 2sG
men, with 129 $50 horses; but these igu,cs
ants. AS tile effective would be increaseu
almost simultaneously with the declaration
of war, it is more instructive to regard it il
its extended form than as it is at this mom-
ent. The following, then, are the troop,
which France wJdld have at her d.sposa.
THU few hours after the commencement
Of hosilhies with a European power ;--
The infantry would consist OF 4GS active
battalions, 1856 fortress battaions sc depo.
battalionS, and 80 ride battuluns, each bat
TALON numbering coo men The total is.
therefore, $40 900 men, The cavalry would
consist OF 392 squadtons, OF SO 800 men, Tn,
artillery would consist of $50 field batteries
81 horse batteries, IL marine batteries. anu
SO fortress batteries with, in all, 15O OJO mer
and 9, 725 guns. The scientific corps would
consist OF 81 900 men. The total force witt
which France might be expected t. entel
upon operations is, therefore, l,O49. 500 men.
exclusive Of train, etc, with 2 72j guus
Within very few days these troops caulo
be reinforced by thS territorial Al my, whicl.
would consist of 49, infantry hattalious and
battaIions Of z1uayes, maxim. 40 900 men.
&c, 200 cavalry; 80 batteries Of artillery, .th
12 iGO men aul e2s guns; aud $4,000 engir
ears etc. These troops would bring the to.
tai available force up To 5l1. 1Gl men, with
295S guns The reserve Of the territorial
amy would next be called upon. 1t is cal.
cuiated To produce G25, 6 30 mon; and tn,
army would thrs be brought uptu strength
OF , liz, 100 men, while the artillery woulu
be incIe ,sed to 8 s36 guns. Should fartue.
ftee be needed, tuere w1uli he alb ,ut /, $40
OO0 men who are liable 10 service: and viii
them the total Strength Of the army Of til,
repuh would he, at tile lowest estimate
S,52o,0 900 mn
Tns Frrnch navy comprises 81 sea-goiug
II, u-"lads, ii which ~ are b1ilJ uf wood. q
armnud coast dolenre vessels and uueornple
ted iruucltds, 60 anarmred cruisers. and
about 1870 tprp Do vessels ard boats, togethe.
With aonur 9i7 guu-hoats, transports aud
small ait, loan4ed by 5000 officers and
saliag. > $40 mai ns engineers, IS $40 ura.
zine infantry and 4 $50 murine aitillervmen.
or 20, 2G0 men IN ltl Both army ana navy
are now chiefly lrnyd With the Grae rins u
carbne, but Il is sa'd thar l70 900 repeating
rifles are also IN the hands or the troops Tie
G,as infantry Il We CHS with it, bayonct
10 lbs Z u, iud carries q bullet weighing
3s6 grains Tie article referred 10 ,,pe!qde,
as fuiows:
No review Of tue lighting strength 0,
France would at tho present time bs IN.
plete, unless it included some refere {. Ia
the condition of affairs ON the lroatie. line
between France and Germany. The lcugfn
of that frontier is about l4O mil and ,s,
within it, on the F,onch side, lies a most irl-
pOrtaut field which is occupied BY modern
permanent detUnees Of very great strength.
The first line of these defences consists oftbe
fortresses II Verdu", Toul, Epiual, aud Bel